Birds of a Feather
by SamuelRaske
Summary: In a moment, James and Lily make a decision which changes everything for them, for Voldemort, and certainly for Harry. Now, eleven years later, he will enter into a world stacked against him for the reputation of his parents and the legacy that they have given to him.


**A/N:** This is Rowling's property. I'm just playing around in her universe. Anyways, a few things to say. It's been awhile since I've really done anything. Now, that I have a bunch of freedom I decided to do this story. Full outline and planning out. The other chapters will likely be formatted differently, but this chapter is the prologue and meant to be a kind of separate core scenes collection of why James and Lily did what they did for Harry instead of making it into some big mystery. I got the idea from two stories: Harry and the Dark's Rise as well as Mirror. More just the idea of James and Lily turning Death Eater and betraying their friends. I hope you like it so far, next chapter will start from Harry being eleven. I've already decided the pairing also there's going to be a few subtle changes to some characters. I'll stop rambling now. Review for me, I love constructive criticism.

It was a quiet night in the modest, tiny gated cottage at Godric's Hollow. The smell of tea filtered the kitchen as James Potter, his hair more untidy than usual, pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. He reached out his hand to grasp that of his wife, Lily, as the steam of their cups of tea rose off the surface. An hour ago, they had heard from Dumbledore about them, about _Harry_, their son, their everything. They would have to hide. They would have to hope that they would always be safe from Voldemort, who, for all the evidence shown, was winning the war.

"Lily," James said, his voice quivered in his throat. He knew Lily was just as afraid as he was. The normally spirited and energetic, green eyes of hers had dulled considerably. For the first time since the war had started, they were terrified. They had fought Voldemort for so long, even survived some encounters with him, but this was about their one-year-old boy. Harry couldn't defend himself. He couldn't protect himself from the inevitable confrontation against Voldemort.

"Lily," he said, more resolutely. "I think we should turn ourselves over to Voldemort."

Her eyes flashed with confusion then barely suppressed anger. "You can't—"

She pulled her hands away from his. It was the first time in years that he could remember seeing revulsion in that beautiful face of hers, but he couldn't risk this. He couldn't risk Harry being killed for no fault of his except being born to them and being born now, as they were losing the war. He ran a hand through his hair, frantic and pained.

"He'll come for us. He will. If this was just Voldemort hunting us, then I wouldn't even consider it but." But what? What exactly? "But if he kills us, then he'll kill Harry. I won't let Harry die."

"Dumbledore," she said. Her voice shook.

"We're losing this war. We have a traitor in our ranks, which could be Remus or anyone else. People we have loved and befriended."

"That would make us just like them, James!" She yelled.

James looked up the stairs where Harry was sleeping in his crib. "Lily, do you think we can keep Harry safe?" This was the problem. Ever since hearing from Dumbledore, he was afraid that he, James Potter, couldn't keep his son safe from Voldemort. Maybe, just maybe, if they went to Voldemort and begged him to spare their son, then they could keep him safe.

"James, I need to… to think," Lily said.

"Please, just," he paused. "Consider it."

* * *

She had considered it. She had considered it for weeks before she had relented. The killings got worse in that time and they had decided to have Sirius as their Secret Keeper while they told no one of what they were doing. There was only one person she dared to go to in an effort to bring them before Lord Voldemort hoping that he would spare them and Harry. If he wouldn't, then, at least Harry would have Sirius. Sirius would never know what they had tried to do and Harry would be alive, even if they weren't.

She knocked on the door, a couple of tight rasps against the old wood, the old wood that she remembered so well, so long ago. There was a clamber before the door squeaked open and the greasy-haired, shallow-faced man answered the door. "Severus," she said. How long had it been since she had seen him? Years. Yet, it didn't seem so long since she had been talking to him outside of the Gryffindor Common Room after he had thoughtlessly called her _that._ Lily had always trusted him and now, well, there was no one else she could ever trust enough with this, none as much as Severus.

His face couldn't contain the shock shown. Then, his eyes flitted over to James before narrowing. "Potter," he nearly spat before glancing at Lily again. "What brings you two here?"

"Sni—Snape," James said. Lily narrowed her eyes at her husband. This was not the way to get into his good graces. They needed those good graces for their plan to work.

"I'm sorry," James said. "Old habits die hard. I'll just let Lily do the talking." The reddening of his cheeks, clear embarrassment, softened Snape to a degree but it was Lily, as always it had been, that solved that particular problem.

"Severus, we… we came to ask a favor of you, a favor I have no right asking you for."

Snape swallowed. He opened the door. They followed him into his house as he motioned for them to take some seats, though not before throwing a withering glare at James once more.

"What is this about, Lily?" Snape asked as they both sat across from him. James was wringing his hands something fierce and Lily kept averting Snape's gaze.

Lily sat there for a painfully long time before she tried to speak. "Whatever it is, it's okay to ask. I honestly thought I would be the last person you would come to ask a favor, after what happened."

She cleared her throat. "Severus, we… we have decided to turn ourselves over to Lord Voldemort, to protect Harry, to ask for him to spare Harry." Snape covered his expression well but not for a woman that had known him since she was a little girl. "Please, Severus, it's the only way for us to protect him."

Snape leaned forward. "Lily," he said, softly, but the harshness was there. "Even if he were to spare your son, there are things he would demand you do in exchange."

"We know," James said. From Snape's expression, he didn't particular like the interruption from James. "But, I will do whatever I have to do to protect my son, Lily has decided to as well."

Lily turned to him. "I can't lose Harry, Severus." Her face wrinkled into despair, and Snape's expression softened to see how much fear and anxiety and anguish existed in her.

"If we do this, there is no going back. Whatever will happen cannot be taken back."

She grabbed James's hand. "We've already decided."

Snape hid his annoyance. "I will owl you with the time, if the Dark Lord has decided to meet with you, but I caution you both, especially you Lily, to be prepared. He may demand something very costly from you. He desperately wants your son and very little could change his mind."

* * *

It was weeks, agonizing and miserable weeks, of waiting to hear back from Snape. James hated to rely on Snape, on his old childhood rival, for anything, let alone something as important as this but Lily wouldn't trust anyone else. She had known he would go about this given the kind of friends he had had in Hogwarts. Certainly, Severus Snape would have been a Death Eater, but no one else would have readily agreed or believed them. Severus had always trusted Lily and, despite everything, she had believed Snape would be able to be trusted with this.

James had been home when the owl arrived. A short reply of nothing except for, "_Tomorrow at midnight_", but enough for them both to know. His stomach hadn't settled since then and Lily had refused to leave Harry's nursery. They both discussed it at length over and over again to convince themselves this was the right thing, the only thing, really. They apparated to Snape's house and he took them, blindfolded, by portkey to a lavish, quite exquisite manor where, in the central chambers, Lord Voldemort, in all his horrid glory, sat amongst several Death Eaters, all of which bore their traditional masks, even Snape.

Voldemort's eyes flashed red, for a brief moment, whether in amusement or curiosity, James couldn't tell. Lily shook beside him. "Mr. and Mrs. Potter," he said, the high-pitched, slithery voice sent shivers down James's back. "I find myself rarely as surprised as I am now. Our mutual friend has begged me to consider your offer of defection."

There was the growing sound of laughter chittering against masks down the filed ranks of his Death Eaters. James momentarily wondered how many times he had been fighting these very men and women. "He tells me you wish to ask for mercy for your son."

James dipped his head. "Yes," he cringed, knowing he had to do it as much as, right now, he didn't want to. "My Lord."

The laughter grew louder. Voldemort's lip quirked into a smile. "Why should I? What benefit is it for me, Lord Voldemort, to spare your son?"

James had been expecting this. He had known that he would need to have something to offer to Voldemort to convince him to leave Harry alone. "I am trusted in the Order, both because of my family as well as because of my personal reputation. There are very few that could give you the location of the Longbottoms." He didn't need to turn to see the expression on Lily's face. James had never dared say that he was thinking of betraying another family to save his own.

Voldemort laughed. The same laughter he had recalled hearing so many times before as the man eagerly struck down witch and wizard alike. It haunted him now as it did before but in a decidedly different way. "A fine offering but do you think that I could not find it out myself?"

Voldemort stood. The laughter had quieted down and now tension filled the air. "I want something very different from you both."

His eyes peered at James. "You will still get their location for me but I want to know you can be trusted first. You will be one of mine, my Death Eaters, you will serve me and my dear Bella here will help to school you in the finer elements of the dark arts. Only when you are my servant will I trust you enough to spy for me. You will sell yourself to me," Voldemort laughed, "so that your son will live."

Voldemort then turned to Lily. "As for you," there was a certain look of distaste on his lips, "If not for your proven capability as a witch, I would not want you. However, I am merciful. You, Lily Potter, I have come to understand have a muggle sister. Am I correct?"

James closed his eyes for a moment. Voldemort knew. Of course, he would know. Somehow, he had been told of this. "You will kill her and whatever pitiful excuse for a family that she has as proof of your loyalty to me." Voldemort was now standing before them. "You are requesting I sacrifice something, therefore, you will sacrifice much more than I for me to agree to your pathetic request."

Laughter again. James nodded his head and then knelt to the ground. This is what Snape meant. All of his principles and morals and friendships and beliefs would have to be sold so that Harry could live. Lily fell down next to him. Her hair shrouded much of her face as she hid her expression from James. Voldemort was asking much, much more from her. This was for Harry, he mumbled to himself and heard Lily do the same. "Yes, my Lord," James replied.

Lily's defeated voice spoke next, "Yes, my Lord." There was no turning back.

* * *

James sat on a small, rickety chair next to Bellatrix Lestrange, and knew that Sirius would kill him for daring to even be civil to her for all she had done in the war. "Take out your wand, James." Voldemort said. James pulled out his wand as Bellatrix sneered.

"I do not expect you to perform it right away. After all, we have to undo years of pitiful conditioning against Dark Magic. Not necessarily done in one night for someone like you. Later, Bella shall be your instructor. She has taken to it rather well I must say."

James rose his eyes to look at Voldemort who sat behind a long, aspen desk. The engraving of basilisks adorned the edges beautifully in a haunting sort of way. "Let us start with the Killing Curse." Voldemort waved his wand and a previously bound rabbit hobbled on the top of the desk. "It requires, more than anything, intent. You must want to kill it. Say the incantation."

He pointed his wand at the rabbit even as his hand shook. "_Avada Kedavra!" _Voldemort and Bellatrix laughed as nothing came from his wand.

"James, you have to _want_ to kill it." Voldemort turned to Bellatrix, then nodded.

Bellatrix sneered at him again, her beautiful features twisting into a cruel image of her face. "_Avada Kedavra!_" A bright, green light shot from her wand and the rabbit dropped dead, its wide, black eyes staring off at the wall.

"Bella will teach you and you will succeed in the dark arts or I'll have to kill your son. After all, if you do not honor your side of the deal, then why should I honor mine?" Voldemort stood and began to walk out of the room. "And Bella, do whatever it takes to get him suited to the dark arts."

James watched the Dark Lord leave as Bella turned to him with a mad glint in her dark eyes hidden beneath equally dark curls of her hair.

* * *

Lily stood outside her sister's home. Severus had taught her. James couldn't be bothered between coming home with a body barely able to stand or the dark circles under his eyes, all of which his friends believed to be a result of knowing that Voldemort was hunting Harry. But, he couldn't help her. Severus was pushed to teach her the one thing she had hated about him. Irony could not be a better fit for her in this moment. It had taken awhile of her learning to hate everything, hating James for suggesting this and her sister for all the years she had been mean to her, Vernon for how rude of a man he was, Voldemort for demanding this of her, Dumbledore for backing them into a corner. Everyone except for Harry, who slept in the cottage at Godric's Hollow with Sirius as she went to kill her sister, her brother-in-law and her nephew so that Harry would be safe. Most of all, she hated herself for giving into everything and knowing that she was going to do it.

"Lily," James said, from his position next to her. Lily turned to him. James wasn't the same. Bellatrix had taught him all that she had learned from Voldemort and now he had a dark, cold look in his eyes after the many raids he had gone on to kill muggles and wizards and witches alike. The Dark Arts had corrupted him, horribly, but she couldn't say the same hadn't been done to her. The fiery, energetic anger now more of a constant, barely suppressed rage.

She cast a nonverbal expulso on the front door. They weren't wearing their newly acquired Death Eater masks and robes for the simple fact that Voldemort wanted her family to know that it was her. He wanted to see if she could do it knowing that they knew who had killed them. Her red hair scattered about her face as she entered the home, both Petunia and Vernon shocked to see the family they equally hated in their living room.

James turned, a cruel smile tugging at the corner of his lips, as he cast the Imperius curse at Vernon Dursley. He watched with morbid satisfaction as the brute of a man that had been rude and demeaning towards him was forced to choke the life out of his own son. Lily, for her part, had already used the Cruciatus Curse on Petunia, recalling all the times her sister had insulted and rejected and ridiculed her for being such an abomination. Petunia was a jealous woman. She deserved this. Her sister deserved to suffer. A green light from the corner of the room and resounding thump ended the life of Vernon.

Lily didn't stop as she enjoyed the cries and screams of her sister until James put a hand on her shoulder. "They'll be coming soon. We need to leave." Lily's eyes brightened at James's touch then she ended it. Petunia crying on the ground as she looked over at the dead bodies of her husband and son.

Petunia's hateful eyes turned on Lily. Then, a flash of green light ended her sister's life. James put his arms around Lily's shoulders and apparated them back to Godric's Hollow. It wouldn't be until the next day that they would be found and the Potters, once again, would need to act and lie. Lily crying about her sister's death as if it really even mattered to her.

* * *

James sat in his cell. He was sure that Lily was somewhere nearby but he couldn't be sure. Sirius and Remus arrived. Both had spat at him and called him a disgrace. The Dark Lord was gone. No one knew what had happened except that he had arrived at the Longbottom Estate and killed Frank and Alice before trying to kill Neville, who had miraculously survived. How? James didn't know. For all the power and bluster of Albus Dumbledore, he didn't compare, in his twisted, corrupted mind to that of Lord Voldemort.

It was discovered by suspicion of James's recent behavior and a dose of Veritaserum that James was the one that had given away the location of the Longbottom's. He had never seen Dumbledore, his professors or his friends so enraged and betrayed by his actions, but he didn't care, not anymore. Harry was alive. Harry was safe. He had willingly traded everything for that one simple chance.

"The Dark Lord will be back," James said. He had seen for himself how powerful his master was. How long ago was it that he had hated and reviled the man? Ages, it seemed. "He'll be back for me."

Sirius reached through the bars and slammed his head against the cage. "You filthy traitor! Why did you betray them? Why did you betray _us_?"

James turned away. Sirius wouldn't understand. He had never been able to hold down a girlfriend. He had never been married. He didn't have a son, no matter how much he loved Harry. It wouldn't make sense to him, but that wasn't all. Was it? Somewhere along the way, he had lost himself. He had wanted to make people suffer. He had wanted to kill those that attacked him. Lily had been the same way. Lily. He mumbled her name hoping to find some strength from it. Would he ever see her again? Would he see Harry?

"There's nothing I can say," James said. He clenched his jaw and watched Remus and Sirius leave, both of them with their shoulders slouched in defeat. The next day, he was carted off to Azkaban with Lily. The rest of the faithful would follow, Lucius among them. The poor bastard had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lucius Malfoy, James would have laughed to think they would be friends anytime soon, but he had come to inquire about Voldemort and was arrested with James. Who else would join them?

In his cell in Azkaban, when not assaulted by the Dementors, he found a rock and carved into every corner of his cell the names of Lily and Harry. The few people that visited could hear him asking about Harry at every turn.


End file.
